Title
Alachua County Request for Business Plans: Capital Projects that Promote Tourism (B)
This item is a request for the City Commission to provide a letter of support for the Cade Museum's request for Tourist Development Tax funding.
Explanation
Alachua County released a Request for Information (RFI) for Business Plans for Capital Projects that Support Tourism. The available Tourism Development Tax (TDT) funding is $600,000 with potential County Commission approval up to $1 million. Applications are due by April 29, 2015.
City staff spoke with Cade Museum Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Denault about the TDT funding opportunity and confirmed that the Cade Museum will submit a proposal for this funding. The Cade Museum previously received $600,000 in TDT funds and have raised another $3.8 million from other sources. They hope to break ground this fall.
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (PRCA) staff reviewed the PRCA Master Plan for potential City projects that might be eligible. PRCA projects that could have a significant tourism impact are higher cost projects that could not be adequately funded with available TDT funding. Some of the PRCA Master Plan projects with tourism impacts include an outdoor performing arts venue (potentially the Depot Park Amphitheater) and Martin Luther King Jr. Center expansion project (estimated to cost approximately $5 million in 2011).
Based on the amount of funding available and current status of possible City projects, City staff believes it would be best for the City to support the Cade Museum’s proposal for additional TDT funds that can help continue to leverage their fundraising efforts and provide the funding needed to initiate construction of the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention at Depot Park.
Fiscal Note
None
Recommendation
The City Commission authorize the Mayor to send a letter to the County Commission supporting the full request of the Cade Museum for tourism de...
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